Refreshing or Revolting 2013 Toyota RAV4

Refreshing or Revolting 2013 Toyota RAV4 While we have yet to drive the 2013 Toyota RAV4, we’ve had plenty of time to check out its styling inside and out. Toyota unveiled its fourth-generation RAV4 at the 2012 L.A. Auto Show, and the new compact crossover looks significantly different from the outgoing model, which has been overshadowed by newer entrants in the segment.

Refreshing or Revolting 2013 Toyota RAV4

Refreshing or Revolting 2013 Toyota RAV4

 Refreshing or Revolting 2013 Toyota RAV4

Refreshing or Revolting 2013 Toyota RAV4

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Refreshing or Revolting 2013 Toyota RAV4

The back end of the 2013 RAV4 has a much cleaner and solid look thanks to a number of styling and functional changes. For starters, the new RAV4 has a traditional liftgate, ditching the quirky side-hinged door used in previous generations. Also, a full-sized spare tire is no longer mounted on the back door, giving way to a space saver tire stored underneath the cargo area (the refreshed third-gen model was offered with this option). The horizontal taillights, which give the 2013 RAV4 a wider-looking stance, are more substantial than the smaller units in the outgoing model. Toyota says the taillights feature vortex generators to improve aerodynamics.
From the side, the new RAV4 sports a more prominent character line, and the round wheel wells look much cleaner than the asymmetrical openings used in the third-gen model. The front is also significantly new. The grille and headlight design is simple yet cohesive, mimicking other modern Toyota models like the Camry and Highlander. The bottom bumper features plastic cladding that’s accented with a small, metal-finished bar.
Toyota designers really stepped up their game for the interior, especially with higher trim levels that feature the automaker’s SofTex seating surfaces and French stitching. Customers also have the option of two-toned color schemes for a more upscale look. The horizontally-oriented dashboard is highlighted by a standard 6.1-inch touchscreen to control all audio functions and Toyota’s optional Entune infotainment system. Also standard are audio controls on the three-spoke steering wheel, which comes leather-wrapped in the Limited model.
Tell us how you feel about the all-new 2013 Toyota RAV4 in the comments section below.
Last week, we featured the 2013 Honda Civic, which was refreshed after just one model year. Holee-Driver approves of the refresh, saying, “Considering what the 2012 model was and the short time between its debut and now….They have done one of the most thorough refreshes ever for an existing model and brought it up to where it should have been in the first place.” Tortillarat disagrees, however, saying: “Anything would be refreshing compared to the old one, but that doesn’t make it good.”
The 2013 Toyota RAV4 is on the left, and the third-generation model is on the right.